Let us now speak of the Minnesota Timberwolves back-to-back Western Conference finalists with one John Krasinski of the athletic and also the John Krasinski show at Talknorth.com.

John, how are you?

I'm doing great, Nate.

Good to be back as always.

I always love jumping on this pod because it means that the season is

nigh. So it's getting about time for that. So let's go, man. Let's have fun. Yeah, absolutely. So

last year, we waited to do this until October. It was good that we did because there was quite a

bomb shell that took place before we actually recorded.

This year, though, feels like maybe a season of stability.

They lost Nikol, Alexander Walker, but most of the rest of the group is going to be back.

So I guess probably where I could start.

Part of the reason I wanted to do this one a little earlier, usually to take you guys behind the curtain a little bit for teams that are kind of stable,

that you know what they have someone of an identity. I'll usually try to do those earlier

because we're not as reliant on trying to see what's going to happen in camp and like,

what's the new coach going to do, that kind of stuff. So these guys are pretty stable. So I think it's useful to go back and look at what really

worked for them last season and then what ultimately did not in their five game defeat to the

Oklahoma City Thunder. So let's start with the first of those of what went well for Minnesota as they made it back to

the West Finals.

Yeah, I mean, I think that kind of the overall state of the timber wolves for the first time

and since I've covered it and we're going into year 22

on the beat for me is one of kind of stability and competence and and I do think that there's

been a little bit of an identity formed here with the coaching staff with Anthony Edwards and

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